Art Alliance Show Favors The Conventional Gallery Review

April 24, 1986|by JANE MAULFAIR, The Morning Call

Entering the second half-century, the Lehigh Art Alliance has mounted its 51st Annual Spring Juried Exhibition in the Galleria at Muhlenberg College's Center for the Arts. Jurorsfor this exhibition are Roger Anliker, professor of painting and drawing at Temple University's Tyler School of Art, and Bernard J. Mangiaracina, chairman of the fine arts department at Bucks County Community College.

Out of 76 entries, the jurors selected 52 works for the anniversary exhibition. Among the works are paintings in traditional oil, acrylic and watercolor. With few exceptions, they are in conventional still life, landscape, cityscape and seascape genres. Sculpture is limited to only three works: one figurative, the other two in abstraction.

Subject matter tends toward representational, and the overall tone reflects conservatism and a bias for the conventional easel painting. In isolated instances there is evidence of candid exploration of subject and expressive use of medium. And in keeping with its legacy, the Alliance exhibit shows an abundant dedication to good, solid craft.

A stunning watercolor by William Persa, "Charlie Follweiler's Lanterns," is in the still life tradition, featuring two kerosene lanterns standing on a stone barnyard wall. Persa captures the charm of the eroded stone, and urges one to make the nostalgic connection between the high-tech present and the bygone days of milking by kerosene light. The artist positions the two lanterns against a background of a rustic wood barn wall which bears a motif of a Pennsylvania hex sign.

Also in watercolor is "Cave" by Lucinda C.Y. Chu. The subject is the interior of a cave with colorful stone formations in a wash technique. Priscilla Taylor Rosenberg's "Shadow Box" reveals the artist's mastery of creating reflective surfaces with watercolor. Other works in aqua media include snow scenes with barn, snow scenes with birch trees, and snow scenes with stream. Then there are the seascapes and the boat basins and the street scenes - some quite appealing, particularly "Linden Street U.S.A." by Idonna Coffelt and "Trees on Washington Street" by William Christine.

Gary Pahl's "Dragon's Teeth" is a large oil on canvas featuring a central pyramid shape that casts a shadow longer than itself. In warm, earthy yellows and russets, the image appears to be a landscape. However, the artist introduces geometric forms on the canvas' four corners, and another angular form in the lower right corner. This element of surprise earns it a second look.

A subtle but interesting work, and certainly unique to the exhibition, is "Kitchen Set" by Edward Lopez. Lopez works with a sketchy, spontaneous brush stroke and depicts the scene in accurate perspective, but only where it is necessary.

The show's People's Choice award was give to "Swiss High" by Janet Dean.

"The Lehigh Art Alliance 51st Anniversary Annual Spring Juried Exhibition" continues at Muhlenberg College's Galleria in the Center for the Arts through May 4. Hours are 8 a.m.-11 p.m. daily.